msshanker

HCA Faces Fresh Court Challenge Over U-19 Selections

Special Correspondent With corruption in the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) reaching its pinnacle, its truncated apex council—now headed by Acting President Sardar Daljit Singh and Acting Joint Secretary Basavaraju—finds itself in the dock once again. The charge this time: blatant manipulation and favoritism in the selection of Hyderabad’s Under-19 cricket team. A parent, A. Venkateshwar…

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Deserving Cricketers, Disgraced System

Special Correspondent The mood among Hyderabad’s young cricketers is turning from hopeful to hopeless. Frustration, disappointment, and a growing sense of betrayal now dominate conversations across academies and clubs. Despite commendable performances in leagues and trials, dozens of deserving players have been left out — replaced by those with money, influence, or connections. Even more…

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Why Hyderabad Cricket Cannot Be ‘Cleaned’

MS Shanker After two relentless exposés — “Who Ruined Hyderabad Cricket?” and “How to Revive Hyderabad Cricket?” — I have now reached a painful but inescapable conclusion: the real rot within the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) lies not only with its office-bearers, but deep within its affiliated clubs themselves. These clubs, over 200 in number,…

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Remembering D. Sitaram: The Firebrand Who Made News Before News

MS Shanker There are journalists, and then there are legends. Dharmavaram Sitaram firmly belonged to the latter tribe. Rough-edged, sharp-tongued, and merciless in his mentoring style, he was as much a tormentor as a teacher. But ask those who came under his wing—often unwillingly—and they will tell you that his harassment was actually his version…

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It’s Time for BCCI to Recognise Telangana Cricket Association

This week, we momentarily step away from our ongoing “How to Revive Hyderabad Cricket” series to focus on an equally urgent question: why does the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) still refuse recognition to the Telangana Cricket Association (TCA), despite its credibility, reforms, and grassroots impact—while continuing to prop up a dysfunctional…

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Owaisi, Time to Drop the Theatrics

As a Hyderabadi, I hardly need to introduce Asaduddin Owaisi — the barrister-politician who inherited the legacy of the All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). His family’s political roots run deep in the Old City, where his party has built its empire on a concentrated pocket of community votes. Election after election, AIMIM has managed to hold…

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